Carbon, microplastic and glass particle emissions are a concern.
Fibreglass replaced traditional solid wood as a raw material for boats because it was quick to manufacture, cheap to buy and durable to use. Over the last couple of years, perceptions of the benefits of fibreglass boats have changed. Rising raw material prices due to the energy crisis have brought the selling price of a fibreglass boat close to the price of a boat built from wood raw materials. In addition, the production of a fibreglass boat has a high carbon footprint. In addition, a boat that is easy to use is not without risk to the water environment.
Now the picture is completed with some worrying information. The lifespan of a fibreglass boat is estimated to be around 20 years, during which time sunlight (UV radiation) and water - especially seawater - will degrade the surface layer of the boat. This corrosion of the fibreglass produces microplastics in the sea. These microplastics, in turn, are harmful when they are enriched in food chains. Microplastics contain chemicals that not only disturb marine life, but also cause serious human illness and infertility. A tough claim, but one that research shows is a necessary warning for those who navigate and live near water (Ciocan 2020).
Not only microplastics but even more dangerous: particles of glass
Cristian Ciocan is reporting in his most recent research paper (Ciocan 2024) that glass reinforced plastic (GRP) has been shown to degrade and contaminate the coasts. For the first time her study presents the extensive fiberglass contamination of natural bivalve such as mussels, populations in a popular South England sailing harbor. Fiberglass particles have been detected in the soft parts of oysters and mussels collected in front of an active boatyard. He summarizes the results of his study in the paper published this year as:
- Potential threat of glass reinforced plastic (GRP) boats to marine environment.
- GRP debris found in oysters & mussels near boatyard on south England coast.
- Filter-feeding bivalves at risk due to particle accumulation.
- Higher levels in winter when boat maintenance increases.
- First study of widespread GRP contamination in bivalves.
Read more if you find this interesting: https://www.greenmatch.co.uk/blog/fibreglass-environmental-impact
Sources:
Manju Lekshmi, N., & Edwin, L. (2019). Boat building materials with special reference to environmental impacts. ICAR:: Central Institute of Fisheries Technology.
Edwin, L., & Yasmi, V. S. (2021). Environmental impacts of fishing and mitigation strategies. ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology.
Ciocan, C., Annels, C., Fitzpatrick, M., Couceiro, F., Steyl, I., & Bray, S. (2024). Glass reinforced plastic (GRP) boats and the impact on coastal environment–Evidence of fibreglass ingestion by marine bivalves from natural populations. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 472, 134619.
Ciocan, C. (2020). Abandoned fibreglass boats are releasing toxins and microplastics across the world.